This invention relates to drive and cutting mechanisms adapted for the slicing of textile materials such as continuously produced fusion bonded nonwoven carpets. More particularly this invention relates to a dual, series ball screw and ball nut array to drive a reciprocating cutter and cable connection, and a cutting mechanism utilizing the array.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,127,293, 3,657,052 and 3,972,254 describe devices for producing nonwoven carpets and other textile materials wherein a flexible sheet is continuously advanced to a cutting position. At the cutting position a cutting blade reciprocally traverses the width of the sheet to slice the sheet in a predetermined path. In one cutting mechanism, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,254, a plurality of cutting elements are secured to an endless belt which is sprocket driven in a reciprocating fashion. In another cutting mechanism, one or more cutting elements are carried on a rope which reciprocally travels in a substantially linear path in the desired cutting plane. Each of these cutting mechanisms requires complex and massive arrangements of driving elements which are cumbersome and subject to breakdown. For example, in a rope drive cutting mechanism of the type described, a plurality of sheaves are pendulum driven. This system takes up considerable space, and tends to be inefficient due to wasted motion and breakdowns caused by wear on the numerous bearings in the array.